Is this the most even/ unpredictable season for a long time?

[Special]

Think tipsters all over the country are having a hard time this year. For mine it's so far been the most even/ unpredictable season for a long time. In 07 bar Geelong at the top it was very even, 05/06 it was fairly even amongst the top 5-6 teams but I think so far any side down to about 13th you would say can make the 8. And most of those you would say can still make the 4.

Can't remember a season where there have been many upsets this early. Or teams are beating teams they aren't expected to beat, and then losing to sides they are expected to beat.

Am really enjoying the season so far the evenness and unpredictability. Only still early of course but when was the last time a season was like that? Thoughts?

[Stanton]

Agree totally. I'm loving it.

What I like most of all is that there's been a clear top 3 so far this year but two of those three have no recent pedigree at the top of the ladder and the other one has been ravaged up forward. The longer the year goes on, the more we're going to wonder if Essendon and Adelaide have the pedigree to stay at the top and if West Coast have the depth.

Meanwhile the more favoured teams are hovering a couple of wins behind that pack.

I'd be very surprised if this wasn't the top 9 in some order though:
Adelaide
Carlton
Collingwood
Essendon
Fremantle
Geelong
Hawthorn
Sydney
West Coast

[TakingthePapiss]

Still think Hawthorn and West Coast are by far the best two teams in the country atm, so I'd have them a comfortable 1-2 at this stage (a lot depending on injuries etc though).

So assuming those 2 do in fact come 1-2 (big assumption at this stage), that leaves Essendon, Adelaide, Sydney, Carlton, Collingwood fighting for the other 2 spots - and even Freo might be in that mix (we'll find out a lot more about them after their next 3 weeks, Hawthorn, West Coast and Adelaide).

Then you've got St. Kilda and Geelong knocking on the door. Truly amazing season to date - has got my interest back after a few years where I haven't really cared about the sport.

[smiddaz]

Fully expecting Essendon to drop off eventually. They came firing out of the blocks similarly last year IIRC. Simply don't think they're good enough yet to be a top 4 side. I think Adelaide are more likely to stay there abouts, and fully expect West Coast to.

Think St Kilda could still play a relevant part in the season without winning the flag. I rate them higher than Freo from the list Stanton made. Pretty disgusted by what Lyon has done to Freo, I used to love watching them.

Expected top 4 in no particular order - West Coast/Hawthorn/Collingwood/Adelaide
5-8 in no order - Essendon/Carlton/Sydney/Geelong
Potential finalists remaining - St Kilda/Fremantle/North Melbourne/Richmond

Don't really rate North at all, but they have a very nice draw and could get there. People may laugh at Richmond, but they can potential get their shit together and surprise imo. Unsure how their draw is though?

[Stanton]

Fully expecting Essendon to drop off eventually. They came firing out of the blocks similarly last year IIRC. Simply don't think they're good enough yet to be a top 4 side. I think Adelaide are more likely to stay there abouts, and fully expect West Coast to.

Think St Kilda could still play a relevant part in the season without winning the flag. I rate them higher than Freo from the list Stanton made. Pretty disgusted by what Lyon has done to Freo, I used to love watching them.

Expected top 4 in no particular order - West Coast/Hawthorn/Collingwood/Adelaide
5-8 in no order - Essendon/Carlton/Sydney/Geelong
Potential finalists remaining - St Kilda/Fremantle/North Melbourne/Richmond

Don't really rate North at all, but they have a very nice draw and could get there. People may laugh at Richmond, but they can potential get their shit together and surprise imo. Unsure how their draw is though?

- We were 4.5/7 at this stage last year before losing to Richmond, Melbourne, Freo, North and Hawthorn after a win over Brisbane. We definitely didn't start as well as this. That's not to say we'll hold on because I still have no idea how we'll cope with a full season, but the starting well idea is a myth.

- Freo aren't exactly exciting, but it's a pretty watertight gameplan. Once they adapt to the gameplan a bit and their instincts become a bit more in tune with how they should be playing with this style, they will be absolutely lethal on the transition from an 18 man defence. Perfect counter-attacking style.

[Special]

You look at most sides and they would be thinking they could be so much better off than they are, which says they've lost games they're expected to win which says a lot for how even it is this year.

Carlton would think they should be undefeated after beating Collingwood how they did, then losing 2 they were expecting to win
Hawthorn would think they should just about be undefeated (west coast game exception) considering they lost to geelong who seem to be struggling.
Sydney would think they should be undefeated losing to Adelaide and Richmond in consecutive weeks
We would think we should be 6 and 1 after losing to Port and then Freo in Melbourne.
West Coast despite there injuries would have been expecting to beat Essendon and remain undefeated.
Collingwood and Geelong have drifted mid pack but you'd still be expecting them to hit there normal form half way through.

Essendon and Adelaide have really been surprises and are new challengers up the top and it's good to see new teams near there. Even Richmond, as shown from the weekend, are proving they can beat a top side and throw a spanner in the works. Add to that the bulldogs and North who are also capable of beating top 8 sides it really makes for an even season.

Makes it much more interesting when results like this are happening. You'd be brave to say any team is cemented for the top 4 or 8. Really anyones game.

[CumDusty]

Eh, Don't think Collingwood will be Top 4. 5 or 6 if we're lucky.
I'm tipping:
Essendon
West Coast
Sydney
Hawthorn

Gold Coast are coming though...

[Ed_Gein]

i'd say collingwood, west coast and hawthorn will finish top 3.

sydney, carlton, fremantle, adelaide the best of the rest.

essendon, geelong and richmond to fight it out for the last spot in the 8.

[Special]

i'd say collingwood, west coast and hawthorn will finish top 3.

sydney, carlton, fremantle, adelaide the best of the rest.

essendon, geelong and richmond to fight it out for the last spot in the 8.

Have said for a fair while I don't rate Essendon.. but that's a pretty ridiculous call to make considering where they are now and what they have done. Have set themselves up for a top 4 challenge.

[Deledinho]

People may laugh at Richmond, but they can potential get their shit together and surprise imo. Unsure how their draw is though?

Our next four weeks will make or break us IMO, Essendon (MCG), Hawthorn (MCG), St. Kilda (Etihad) and Freo (MCG). If we can win 2, maybe even 3 of those games, it will set us up nicely as we have a much easier draw in the second half of the season.

[meh]

Usually at this stage of the season sides have began to settle and you know what they are going to produce, it's nothing like that at the moment, there's still 5-6 sides who you just can't get a read on.

Sides like Adelaide, Essendon, Carlton & Sydney, there is still a few queries on how good they actually are, injuries or not West Coast, Collingwood, Hawthorn & Geelong have all had some wtf results, while it's still difficult to get a read on the best of the rest, Freo are like a sleeping giant they just play ugly footy which can beat quality sides, Richmond are starting to turn a corner, St Kilda - who knows and everytime North look like they are ready to challenge for the 8, they slip into their bad habits.

This week should answer some question re Adelaide & Carlton.

[Stanton]

Don't rate Richmond. They're capable of some big results but I can't see enough depth there for a season-long challenge.

[James Pattinson]

Don't rate Richmond. They're capable of some big results but I can't see enough depth there for a season-long challenge.

Yeah, I agree with this.

On their day, when everyone is playing well, they can certainly match it with anyone, but their depth isn't good enough to sustain a series prolonged of wins.

[yeah_nah]

Yeah, I agree with this.

On their day, when everyone is playing well, they can certainly match it with anyone, but their depth isn't good enough to sustain a series prolonged of wins.

Pretty much what I think of Freo too

[James Pattinson]

Pretty much what I think of Freo too

I don't rate Freo at all.

1) I don't like Ross Lyon, so I'm biased, but I really don't think they can kick a winning score against more than half the league.
2) Pavlich is no Riewoldt.
3) They have Dawson
4) Their game breaker is Stephen Hill.